It is known to provide a system for feeding textile goods, in the form of a web or as individual pieces, preferably engaged at their edges by a continuous driving element, for example, a driving belt or chain, to processing stations which can be stations for folding, seaming, edge stabilization or the like. In general, the web or succession of fabric pieces are engaged between the continuously driven elements, for example, an endless belt or endless chain, and a stationary support which can be a fixed surface, a stationary rail or an array of fixedly located but freely rotatable rollers.
In such a system, means can be provided for pressing the textile goods against a stationary support such as the aforementioned rollers, the rail or surface, e.g. by pressing the conveyor element against a flat side of the article to be displayed. The resiliently mounted pressing elements may be spaced apart in the direction of travel and, in a system as described in EP 05 17 746 B1, each pressing member can be guided transversely to the travel direction by a vertical guide which likewise is perpendicular to the plane of the goods. This vertical guide can be a slot formed in the pressing member and receiving a pin which is fixed so that the pressing member can be biased by a pressing spring means against the conveying element and the goods engaged between the conveying element and the support surface or members. The pin and slit or slot can define the maximum displacement of the pressing member. The spring can be braced against a stationary bar or other portion of the housing which is oriented on a side of the pressing member opposite that along which the conveying element is provided. At the upstream side of the pressing member, with respect to the direction of displacement, i.e. the oncoming side for the textile goods, the pressing member is formed with an inclined edge guiding the conveyor element beneath the pressing member.
While this prior art apparatus has been satisfactory by and large in operation, the pressing members in use tend to generate excessive noise which is undesirable. Such noise results when a leading edge of a textile article clamped between the toothed belt and the underlying support passes into the region of a pressing member.